benita-第35节

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perceived　wounded　Matabele　staggering　and　crawling　back　towards　their

camp。　Of　these；　the　light　now　better；　Jacob　did　not　neglect　to　take

his　toll。



Meanwhile；　the　ancient　fortress　rang　with　the　hideous　tumult　of　the

attack。　It　was　evident　that　again　and　again；　as　their　fierce　war…

shouts　proclaimed；　the　Matabele　were　striving　to　scale　the　wall；　and

again　and　again　were　beaten　back　by　the　raking　rifle　fire。　Once　a

triumphant　yell　seemed　to　announce　their　success。　The　fire　slackened

and　Benita　grew　pale　with　fear。



〃The　Makalanga　cowards　are　bolting；〃　muttered　Mr。　Clifford；　listening

with　terrible　anxiety。



But　if　so　their　courage　came　back　to　them；　for　presently　the　guns

cracked　louder　and　more　incessant　than　before；　and　the　savage　cries　of

〃Kill！　Kill！　Kill！〃　dwindled　and　died　away。　Another　five　minutes　and

the　Matabele　were　in　full　retreat；　bearing　with　them　many　dead　and

wounded　men　upon　their　backs　or　stretched　out　on　the　ladders。



〃Our　Makalanga　friends　should　be　grateful　to　us　for　those　hundred

rifles；〃　said　Jacob　as　he　loaded　and　fired　rapidly；　sending　his

bullets　wherever　the　clusters　were　thickest。　〃Had　it　not　been　for　them

their　throats　would　have　been　cut　by　now；〃　he　added；　〃for　they　could

never　have　stopped　those　savages　with　the　spear。〃



〃Yes；　and　ours　too　before　nightfall；〃　said　Benita　with　a　shudder；　for

the　sight　of　this　desperate　fray　and　fear　of　how　it　might　end　had

sickened　her。　〃Thank　Heaven；　it　is　over！　Perhaps　they　will　give　up　the

siege　and　go　away。〃



But；　notwithstanding　their　costly　defeat；　for　they　had　lost　over　a

hundred　men；　the　Matabele；　who　were　afraid　to　return　to　Buluwayo

except　as　victors；　did　nothing　of　the　sort。　They　only　cut　down　a

quantity　of　reeds　and　scrub；　and　moved　their　camp　nearly　to　the　banks

of　the　river；　placing　it　in　such　a　position　that　it　could　no　longer　be

searched　by　the　fire　of　the　two　white　men。　Here　they　sat　themselves

down　sullenly；　hoping　to　starve　out　the　garrison　or　to　find　some　other

way　of　entering　the　fortress。



Now　Meyer's　shooting　having　come　to　an　end　for　lack　of　men　to　shoot

at；　since　the　enemy　exposed　themselves　no　more；　he　was　again　able　to

give　his　full　attention　to　the　matter　of　the　treasure　hunt。



As　nothing　could　be　found　in　the　cave　he　devoted　himself　to　the

outside　enclosure　which；　it　may　be　remembered；　was　grown　over　with

grass　and　trees　and　crowded　with　ruins。　In　the　most　important　of　these

ruins　they　began　to　dig　somewhat　aimlessly；　and　were　rewarded　by

finding　a　certain　amount　of　gold　in　the　shape　of　beads　and　ornaments；

and　a　few　more　skeletons　of　ancients。　But　of　the　Portuguese　hoard

there　was　no　sign。　Thus　it　came　about　that　they　grew　gloomier　day　by

day；　till　at　last　they　scarcely　spoke　to　each　other。　Jacob's　angry

disappointment　was　written　on　his　face；　and　Benita　was　filled　with

despair；　since　to　escape　from　their　gaoler　above　and　the　Matabele

below　seemed　impossible。　Moreover；　she　had　another　cause　for　anxiety。



The　ill…health　which　had　been　threatening　her　father　for　a　long　while

now　fell　upon　him　in　earnest；　so　that　of　a　sudden　he　became　a　very　old

man。　His　strength　and　energy　left　him；　and　his　mind　was　so　filled　with

remorse　for　what　he　held　to　be　his　crime　in　bringing　his　daughter　to

this　awful　place；　and　with　terror　for　the　fate　that　threatened　her；

that　he　could　think　of　nothing　else。　In　vain　did　she　try　to　comfort

him。　He　would　only　wring　his　hands　and　groan；　praying　that　God　and　she

would　forgive　him。　Now；　too；　Meyer's　mastery　over　him　became

continually　more　evident。　Mr。　Clifford　implored　the　man；　almost　with

tears；　to　unblock　the　wall　and　allow　them　to　go　down　to　the　Makalanga。

He　even　tried　to　bribe　him　with　the　offer　of　all　his　share　of　the

treasure；　if　it　were　found；　and　when　that　failed；　of　his　property　in

the　Transvaal。



But　Jacob　only　told　him　roughly　not　to　be　a　fool；　as　they　had　to　see

the　thing　through　together。　Then　he　would　go　again　and　brood　by

himself；　and　Benita　noticed　that　he　always　took　his　rifle　or　a　pistol

with　him。　Evidently　he　feared　lest　her　father　should　catch　him

unprepared；　and　take　the　law　into　his　own　hands　by　means　of　a　sudden

bullet。



One　comfort　she　had；　however：　although　he　watched　her　closely；　the　Jew

never　tried　to　molest　her　in　any　way；　not　even　with　more　of　his

enigmatic　and　amorous　speeches。　By　degrees；　indeed；　she　came　to

believe　that　all　this　was　gone　from　his　mind；　or　that　he　had　abandoned

his　advances　as　hopeless。



A　week　passed　since　the　Matabele　attack；　and　nothing　had　happened。　The

Makalanga　took　no　notice　of　them；　and　so　far　as　she　was　aware　the　old

Molimo　never　attempted　to　climb　the　blocked　wall　or　otherwise　to

communicate　with　them；　a　thing　so　strange　that；　knowing　his　affection

for　her；　Benita　came　to　the　conclusion　that　he　must　be　dead；　killed

perhaps　in　the　attack。　Even　Jacob　Meyer　had　abandoned　his　digging；　and

sat　about　all　day　doing　nothing　but　think。



Their　meal　that　night　was　a　miserable　affair；　since　in　the　first　place

provisions　were　running　short　and　there　was　little　to　eat；　and　in　the

second　no　one　spoke　a　word。　Benita　could　swallow　no　food；　she　was

weary　of　that　sun…dried　trek…ox；　for　since　Meyer　had　blocked　the　wall

they　had　little　else。　But　by　good　fortune　there　remained　plenty　of

coffee；　and　of　this　she　drank　two　cups；　which　Jacob　prepared　and

handed　to　her　with　much　politeness。　It　tasted　very　bitter　to　her；　but

this；　Benita　reflected；　was　because　they　lacked　milk　and　sugar。　Supper

ended；　Meyer　rose　and　bowed　to　her；　muttering　that　he　was　going　to

bed；　and　a　few　minutes　later　Mr。　Clifford　followed　his　example。　She

went　with　her　father　to　the　hut　beneath　the　tree；　and　having　helped

him　to　remove　his　coat；　which　now　he　seemed　to　find　difficulty　in

doing　for　himself；　bade　him　good…night　and　returned　to　the　fire。



It　was　very　lonely　there　in　the　silence；　for　no　sound　came　from　either

the　Matabele　or　the　Makalanga　camps；　and　the　bright　moonlight　seemed

to　people　the　place　with　fantastic　shadows　that　looked　alive。　Benita

cried　a　little　now　that　her　father　could　not　see　her；　and　then　also

sought　refuge　in　bed。　Evidently　the　end；　whatever　it　might　be；　was

near；　and　of　it　she　could　not　bear　to　think。　Moreover；　her　eyes　were

strangely　heavy；　so　much　so　that　before　she　had　finished　saying　her

prayers　sleep　fell　upon　her；　and　she　knew　no　more。



Had　she　remained　as　wakeful　as　it　was　often　her　fate　to　be　during

those　fearful　days；　towards　midnight　she　might　have　heard　some　light…

footed　creature　creeping　to　her　tent；　and　seen　that　the　moon…rays

which　flowed　through　the　gaping　and　ill…closed　flap　were　cut　off　by

the　figure　of　a　man　with　glowing　eyes；　whose　projected　arms　waved　over

her　mysteriously。　But　Benita　neither　heard　nor　saw。　In　her　drugged

rest　she　did　not　know　that　her　sleep　turned　gradually　to　a　magic

swoon。　She　had　no　knowledge　of　her　rising；　or　of　how　she　threw　her

thick　cloak　about　her；　lit　her　lamp；　and；　in　obedience　to　that

beckoning　finger；　glided　from　the　tent。　She　never　heard　her　father

stumble　from　his　hut；　disturbed　by　the　sound　of　footsteps；　or　the

words　that　passed　between　him　and　Jacob　Meyer；　while；　lamp　in　hand；

she　stood　near　them　like　a　strengthless　ghost。



〃If　you　dare　to　wake　her；〃　hissed　Jacob；　〃I　tell　you　that　she　will

die；　and　afterwards　you　shall　die；〃　and　he　fingered　the　pistol　at　his

belt。　〃No　harm　shall　come　to　herI　swear　it！　Follow　and　see。　Man；

man；　be　silent；　our　fortunes　hang　on　it。〃



Then；　overcome　also　by　the　strange　fierceness　of　that　voice　and　gaze；

he　followed。



On　they　go　to　the　winding　neck　of　the　cavern；　first　Jacob　walking

backwards　like　the　herald　of　majesty；　then　majesty　itself　in　the　shape

of　this　long…haired；　death…like　woman；　cloaked　and　bearing　in　her　hand

the　light；　and　last；　behind；　the　old；　white…bearded　man；　like　Time

following　Beauty　to　the　grave。　Now　they　were　in　the　great　cavern；　and

now；　avoiding　the　open　tombs；　the　well　mouth　and　the　altar；　they　stood

beneath　the　crucifix。



〃Be　seated；〃　said　Meyer；　and　the　entranced　Benita　sat　herself　down

upon　the　steps　at　the　foot　of　the　cross；　placing　the　lamp　on　the　rock

pavement　before　her；　and　bowing　her　head　till　her　hair　fell　upon　her

naked　feet　and　hid　them。　He　held　his　hands　above　her　for　a　while；　then

asked：



〃Do　you　sleep？〃



〃I　sleep；〃　came　the　strange；　slow　answer。



〃Is　your　spirit　awake？〃



〃It　is　awake。〃



〃Command　it　to　travel　backwards　through　the　ages　to　the　beginning；　and

tell　me　what　you　see　here。〃



〃I　see　a　rugged　cave　and　wild　folk　dwelling　in　it；　an　old　man　is　dying

yonder；〃　and　she　pointed　to　the　right；　〃and　a　black　woman　with　a　babe

at　her　breast　tends　him。　A　man；　it　is　her　husband；　enters　the　cave。　He

holds　a　torch　in　one　hand；　and　with　the　other　drags　a　buck。〃



〃Cease；〃　said　Meyer。　〃How　long　is　this　ago？〃



〃Thirty…three　thousand　two　hundred　and　one　years；〃　came　the　answer；

spoken